Stained hands from leather gloves

[NEWHD74FAN]

Most modern leathers are "drum dyed" meaning it is artificial coloring manufacturer applies a "secret sauce if you will." Also means that most gloves with lining also offer limited protection from direct contact with leather. I have worn unlined cowhide, goat, kangaroo and deerskin leather gloves and experienced the problem only once with cheap Pakistan one...over many-many years as summertime gloves...yep wear 'em 'til they almost stand on their own, so it must be a manufacturer discretion thing.

 

[Slowrider]

yup, just soaked them in hot water for awhile and no problem after that. I think that some manufacturing companies are going to water soluble dies for the green effect. It's kinda like latex instead of lacquer.

We see it in cowboy stuff pretty often. It's pretty normal because they soak the leather in a dye vat sometimes under pressure when they process it. We do some leather work and repair and it seems like the black dye is the worst. We use Hot water and glycerin saddle soap scrub and rinse. Then neats foot oil and let the oil sink in. Sometimes re oil the next day. Then after a couple of day's use the mink oil on the outside. And should help. Once the dye has setteled down it shouldn't be as much of a problem. I have used rubbing alcohol on stuff and then the above process, it sure doesn't come of your hands very easy so wear latex glove when doing it.

Thanks for the tips, I will give it a try and hope that it will limit or solve the problem.
Do I need to lay them out flat with something on top to keep them flat as they dry out, or just let them air dry?

 

[fin_676]

In 1980 had just started a 350 mile journey and the heavens opend up with one of the scariest thunderstorms ive ever been in i was on my old 75 bonnie and wearing full leathers the lightning bolts were crashing down on the ground either side of the road after a wee while i could feel the water running down my chest it only lasted abou 40 minuts but when i eventually got home and stripped off id an all over body tan of streaks of dye from the leathers took ages to get it all cleaned off

Brian

 

[Blue Wide Glide]

Stay away from those cheap leather products, and you will be fine.

 

[harleypr]

Has anyone ever experianced black stains on their hands from the dye in leather gloves after getting caught in the rain or just plain sweat? The stains can be difficult to remove at times and take some serious scrubbing. Hoping that there is a leather treatment that can prevent this happening.

You get what you pay for in gloves or motorcycles. Order some gloves from Langlitz Leathers and you won't have any problems and they are great. I have short gloves with exterior seams and gauntlet gloves with and without lining and a set of double sheepskin lined mitts for the really cold days. Must have $425-450 tied up but they never let me down.

 

[Jack Klarich]

H D boots aint much better , got bad stains in the Keys in Feb:bigsmiley15:

 

[cowboywildbill]

I should have said drum dyed, but everyone is right usually the cheaper stuff is more of a problem. I forgot to say that If you use the mink oil, even though it is very good for the leather, it will be greasy for a few days. But it will really soften up the leather and is good after gloves have been wet and dried again. I usually only put it on the outside and rub them together.
It will soak through. Be careful because the gloves may be slippery on the cluch and brake levers until they dry a bit. When I was a kid I shelled a bunch of black walnuts with my bare hands. My hands were dyed black for about a week. We tried turpintine and everything to clean them, but it just had to wear off.
kind of like cheap gloves. LOL

 

[R.Bingham]

My H-D perforated gloves that I bought 3 years ago still do this to this day. With 100+ degree weather in TX summers once my hands start sweating they are gonna get black. These gloves were not cheap in price but maybe cheap in quality.
I remember reading an add for H-D jackets boasting about the process they use to dye their jackets, That the dye wouldn't bleed through like less expensive jackets will. I guess the same standard doesn't apply to their gloves.
Randall